Counter-stay for boots and shoes



sflL. BAILEY & o. A. WEAGE. Counter Stay for Boots-and Shoes.

Patented Aug. 31,1880.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SAMUEL L. BAILEY AND COLLINS A. WEAGE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS; SAID WEAGE ASSIGNOR TO SAID BAILEY; SAID BAILEY ASSIGNOR TO ME- TALLIC HEEL STIFFENING COMPANY, OF NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT.

COUNTER-STAY FOR BOOTS AND SHOES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 231,699, dated August 31, 1880.

Application filed September 27, 1879.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, SAMUEL LooKwooD BAILEY and CoLLINs AUGUSTUS WEAGE, of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Counter-Stays for Boots and Shoes, of which the following specification is a description.

This invention relates to various improve ments on the counter-support patented to William H. Van Wormer, November 27, 1877 and the invention consists principally in making the counter-support of one piece of metal, formed to fit the shape of the counter of the 1 boot or shoe to which it is to be applied, and

in other features of improvement, as hereinafter described.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a plan View of our invention, and Fig. 2 arear view of the same.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

The COlllltCf-SUPPOIL is inserted between the two layers of leather which form the counter,

and the lower portions thereof are placed under the insole, and are provided with a series of holes and slots, so that the counter-support may be rigidly secured to the heel of the boot or shoe.

0 In the drawings, the letter a designates our improved counter-support, the sides of which each other, thereby leaving an open space at the back, which extends down to the seat- 5 flange ff, or lower portions of the support, and permits the free and easy movement of theheel without cramping the same at theback,

are rounded off at each end and do not touch which would be the case if the sides of the support extended all the way around the back.

I) b, &c., designate the slots in the bottom plates or lower portions of the support a. The object of these slots is 'to leave room for the insertion of the nails or pegs that hold the heel in place.

The advantage of this invention over that 5 of Van Wormer consists in making the support in one piece, which facilitates its application and use, while at the same time it will answer the same purpose.

Another advantage consists in providing the bottom plates with a series of slots, so that the heels can be readily fastened and the counters secured to the boot or shoe at the same time, as by our construction of the slotted bottom plates they do not interfere with the nail- 5 ing on of the heels.

\Ve are aware thatshoe-tips have been made provided with a series of slots or openings to facilitate the securing of the tip to the shoe; but we do not broadly claim this con stru'ction in a counter-support.

What We claim as our invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The counter-support a, made of one piece of metal or other suitable material, open at the back and having the slots 1) b, &c., in the bottom plates thereof, substantially as herein specified.

SAMUEL LOGKWOOD BAILEY. COLLINS AUGUSTUS WEAGE.

Witnesses J. Q. HOY'I, G. L. BROWNELL. 

